Professor explains impact of bandana mask for black men during COVID-19 pandemic

Professor raises concerns for black men and masks

As we are all wearing a mask due to the coronavirus one professor has a concern. Peter Harper says as a black man he has a concern for his safety.

LOS ANGELES - As more Americans are wearing facial coverings due to the COVID-19 outbreak, one professor shares his concern for black men wearing bandana masks.

Peter Harper, a professor at CSU Channel Islands, says as a black man, he has a concern for his safety.

Harper made a Youtube video on how to make a cheap facial covering with a bandana. He says that if you come from certain cultures, it matters which colors you wear and how you wear that bandana.

To avoid colors associated with gangs or raise criminal suspicions based on stereotypes, he demonstrated how he wears a lime green bandana for a facial covering.

Harper produced the video just days after the CDC called for facial coverings.

He noted that not everyone is able to afford a face mask or had access to a sewing machine. He also demonstrated how to fold a bandana so it doesn't look like you're "about to rob" the place and also expressed concern about past police killings of unarmed black men.

Harper is a married father of two. He's a musician as well as an art professor.

He said he believes the coronavirus crisis is a matter of socioeconomics with different meanings for different cultures.

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